William



. (No'ModeLy W; C. SPELMAN.

METAL BAR MAT.

Patented Feb. 7, 1888.

2/91) (w I 5 WU I I N. PETERS Photo-W. WINHM D. C-

UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFIcE.

XVILLIAM G. SPELMAN, 'OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METAL-BAR MAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,580, dated February 7,1888.

Application filed Alpril12, 1887.

,To aZZ whom, it may concern; I I

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM G. SPELMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of. NewYork, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal-Bar Mats; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thercon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to foot-mats for use on door-steps, in halls, vestibules, corridors, entrances, and in all the various positions where such articles are required; and the object of my invention is to produce a that attractive in appearance, cheap in production, stron and durabie in construction, and effective in meeting the ends designed.

. In carrying my invention into practice I prefer to mortise the strips or bars at the points of intersection and let them into each other, so that bothsets or series of strips shall be in the same vertical plane when the mat is in position for use, and shall present'a numbe used-as,

her of cells or spaces open on each side and separated from each other by the divisional lines of bars or strips, and in the mortises between the bars or strips I place springs,which give the said strips an elasticity to the foot of the user. As many springs may be used as may be desired, one at each'point of intersection of the bars or strips, or at intervals at such points of intersection. The springs may be formed of elastic cushions of rubber, or may ,be coiled wires, or any other form of spring adapted to the situation. The matthus constructed may be used with asurrounding frame, as will be readily understood; butto make a perfect and desirable mat a frame will be preferred. Any form of frame may for instance, a frame 'made of Straight rectangular barsor plates; but 1 prefer the frame hereinafter described,"which is formed'of concave-convex walls or plates, the convex side being turned or exposed-outward.

,Such form of frame wall or plate gives lodgcut for the ends of the bars or strips without ein g weakened by grooves or mortises for the serial No. 234,529. (No model.)'

reception of the strips, and at the same time furnishes inwardly projecting edges, which may be incised without affecting the strength of the frame for receiving the end edges or corners of the strips or bars. At the same time the rounded outer face of -the frame is preferable for use, as it presents no angles for contact with clothing or footwear. The frame may be madeof two pieces only uni-ted at two corners or elsewhere, the corners being more .or less rounded to avoid sharp angles. The two or more parts of the frame are held together around the strips or bars by having one or more of each set of bars or strips provided with diminished projecting ends 0:

tenons which pass through small mortises in the frame and are riveted or soldered therein.

Aside from and in addition to this connection I may also solder or weld the corners of the frame where the parts thereof meet, and may convex frame; but such additional means of fastening are not essential to the strength and durability .of the device and may be dispensed with,and the projecting tenons on one or more v of each set or series of bars or strips may be solely relied upon for such purpose. As will have been seen,the mat is reversible,being the same on both sides. v.

The accompanying drawings illustrate what I consider a good means for-carrying my invention into. practice.

Figure I is a plan View of a completed mat made according to my invention. Fig. II is a section of'a 'concavoconvex side frame. Fig. III is a view of a portion of one of the bars which has the riveting projection upon it. Fig. IV is a section ofa portion of themat, showing the springs. Fig. V is a view similar to Fig. IV of a modification. Fig. VI is a section of a modified form of side frame. Fig. VII is a view showing'a cross-section of the frame, taken at a point where a bar is set andshowing thebar in place. Fig. VIII'is a cross-section of the frame with the bar removed;

Similar letters of. reference indicate corresponding parts .-in all the figures --where they occur... 1

.shown at a and-b, and let into each other, so

A designates one set or series of bars or strips, formed of steel or other metal, and B designates the other set. The two sets cross each other, as shown, at any desired angle, preferably at rightanglcs, and form a series of open-ended cells or spaces, a a, surrounded by the strips or bars, except along the edges of the mat, where the frame closes one side of the spaces located there. At the points of intersection the bars or strips are mortised, as

that the bars or strips of both sets shall have their edges on the faces of the mat on the saw e level.

' he mortises a and b are made a little deeper than one-half of the width of the bars or strips, so that when the said bars or strips are in place in the mat aspaee or seat, a", will be left in the bars or strips at each point of union. Into some or all of these I place springs 1)", formed of rubber cushions, spirals, or other style of spring, which give elasticity to the bars or strips and prevent the same from being forced down to scratch orinjure floors,

tessellated or mosaic work, when heavy persons are using the mat. The mortising and letting in of the bars or strips bindboth series together, so that they form-a mat without any surrounding frame; but of course it is not desirable to leave the mat in this condition, and a frame is preferably provided for it. An ordinary frame of flat plates or bars may be employed; but I prefer to use a frame formed of concavo-convcx walls or plates with their hollow faces turned inward to receivethe ends of the bars or strips. Such form of frame is marked 0 in the drawings, and the ends of the bars are rounded to fit into it and be held from displacement therefrom without the aid of mortises or other holding means. An angle-plate with fiat face and inward-projecting edges would serve substantially the same purpose, so far as holding the bars from displace ment laterally is concerned; but I prefer the rounded plate or wall, although, .if desired, the flat angle-plate may be used. Ineisions 0 may be made in the inturned edges ofthe frame and the corner edges of the bars or strips extended therein and soldered fast, if desired.

The frame 0 is preferably madein two pieces only, the corners 0 being simply turned or bended, while the corners c are jointed.

The parts of the frame are united by having one or more of the bars A and B provided with diminished projecting ends or tenons a, If, which are inserted in or through openings or mortises provided for them in the walls of the frame, and riveted, soldered, or otherwise secured therein. In addition to this filstening, the corners of the bars or strips, as already stated, may be soldered in the incisions c, and the jointed corners dof the frame may also be solderedorsecuredin any convenient fashion.

The mat as thus formed is reversible. A non-reversible mat may be formed by having the strips of one set narrower than those of the other and a mortise, with the spring-in it, formed in the wider set, and the narrower set placed over the said springsin themortises, so that their upper surfaces or edges come flush with the upper edges of the wider strips. The reverse side of such a mat may also be used; but it wouldpresent strips or bars extending in but one direction. This form is shown in Fig. V. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-.

set to cross each other and mortised and let into each other, with springs between them in the mortises, as set forth. I

2. Amat composed of metal strips or bars mortised and let into each other, and a frame surrounding said strips or bars, having projections on one or more of the bars extending in each direetion,said projeetions'being passed through and riveted or otherwise fastened in the frame, as set forth. I

3. A mat composed of metal bars or strips mortised and let into each other, as described, and a frame having concave-convex walls provided with incisions in the inturned edges thereof, into which the corners of the bars or stripsproject, as set forth.

4. A mat composed of metal bars or strips mortised and let into each other, as set forth, and springs in said mortises between the bars, a frame having inturned edges holding the said bars or strips, andmeans, substantially as described, for holding the bars or strips and frame together.

5. A mat composed of aframc, C, havinginwardly-projecting edges having notches c', and flat metal bars A and B, having their ends formed .to fit the inner face of the frame and projecting into the notches c, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereofI afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM O. SPELMAN.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH A. CUTTER, PETER STEDEOOTT.

1. A mat composed of metal bars or strips. 

